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Hiking Squaw Mountain in KomodoSports

A fellow Justin sent in the following photos (one from below the mountain, above) and message about his recent hike up Squaw Mountain:

Here’s a couple of shots I took today hiking up Squaw Mountain in Provo, Utah; despite being quite worn in, the KomodoSports handled the miles of rocky trails very well – that said, I would not recommend hiking mountains in minimalist footwear unless you’ve been wearing them for some time and know how to step lightly; I’ve been wearing these shoes for just over two years now and have been barefoot running for a little over three years. Parts of this hike felt like what I called “an extreme foot massage.” I’m very much looking forward to my next hike up the mountains wearing my VFF’s, and to some trail running here in them too.

- Justin

See the view from the top after the jump!

Thanks for sharing, Justin!

About the Author — I founded BirthdayShoes.com in April 2009 on realizing just how much I enjoyed having "free feet" - I mostly wanted to use them for weights, sprints, and plyometrics (I'm not much of a runner!). I'm a Googler by day and minimalist footwear aficionado by night; you can find me 'round Atlanta. If you want to catch up with what I'm doing outside of the site here, follow me on twitter @bdayshoes or @justinno or check out my personal site JustinOwings.com.Justin+ has written 896 articles and 426 comments.

3 comments

You should only use any Vibram shoe that has a harder sole like the Spyridons or Treksport or Lontra when
doing any hiking where rocks are involved. Much respect goes to you for using the Komodos on rocks or sharp objects, however it's not a wise choice and too risky for no real benefit.

You have proven you are a badass by hiking in KMDSports in rocky terrain, but sometimes a little more cushion isn't a bad thing. I have been running barefoot and using VFF for 3-4 years now and have hiked in Merrell Trail Gloves on really rocky terrain. No way would I do the same thing in my VFF Classics.

Shoot, even our ancestors used some cushion at times when needed. Either that or they would walk around the rocky terrain.

Just went for my second hike in Trek Sports and even though I'll only run in my KMD Sports or Bikilas I think I need something with more protection, especially if I plan on "speed" hiking. It was great having grip, but still slipped a couple of times and was a little nervous on the sharper rocks.

From one of the links here I found a deal on both the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove and Vivobarefoot Synth Hiker, which would you recommend for someone who loves their Vibrams but wants protection from the rocks?

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